Any educator can tell you that a young person’s love of learning begins at home. The year 2014 was a landmark one for Puente and the South Coast community as we tackled chronic problems in local students’ early reading and language skills with several exciting new programs, many of which are designed to engage local parents as much as they do their young children. In 2014, Puente received a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation to fund its new Family Engagement Impact Initiative, which Puente developed in conjunction with the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District. The two-year, nearly $400,000 grant already has helped Puente launch several efforts designed to address students’ struggles by promoting early literacy K-8 and bridging the learning gap between home and school. These bold steps include: • Expanding the ‘Raising a Reader’ program to include early literacy training and practice for parents • Introducing Abriendo Puertas (Opening Doors), a ten-part curriculum that teaches parents how to support their children’s growth and education at every age • Providing a series of workshops on child development and early learning for in-home child care providers, with support from the San Mateo County Office of Education and WestEd’s Program on Infant/Toddler Care • Hiring an Early Literacy Specialist to oversee new programs and workshops • Purchasing books and other materials essential … Continue reading Learning to read: Puente advances early childhood education